If a banner ad falls in the woods, does anybody see it? Seriously, does a banner ad have a carbon footprint? Over at Internetnews.com, David Needle has a fascinating discussion about the whole banner ad Vs. print ad debate regarding carbon footprint. There is a discussion of the Green Grid and other socially and environmentally responsible ways to ensure your data center is as green as can be.
My take is the carbon footprint of a web ad requires an indirect calculation.

Here is the conference program for Green Technology World Conference which takes place September 11-12th 2007 in Los Angeles, CA. Here are some of the sessions to give you an idea of what to expect:
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2007Top Ten Ways to beGREENthrough Better Networking
Mark Leary, Senior Strategist, Cisco
In this connected world, our networks are front and center in our GREEN technology efforts. In this session, Cisco will outline the ten most significant networking technologies and techniques that are serving to ease our demands on the Earth’s resources. As the world’s premier provider of networking systems to enterprises, small and medium businesses, and service providers, Cisco is uniquely positioned to research, analyze, and forecast the impact of networking technology on GREEN initiatives.

Opportunities to “go green” are all around us. Public transportation has long been considered a useful tool in the march to save the environment. It’s become commonplace see alternative fuel buses in many municipalities across the United States.
Now the Sacramento Bee is reporting that the California capital has identified that city’s light rail system for an energy efficiency upgrade.
Call it the Prius effect.
Much like the systems Toyota uses in their hybrid vehicles, Sacramento hopes to take advantage of regenerative braking technology to capture energy to be used in helping the trains to accelerate out of the stations.
Energy created while braking will be captured and sent back into the lines that provide power to the light rail system.
According to the Sacramento Bee, forty percent of the energy from braking can be recovered and sent back to accelerating trains.